26 Aug 2020

Councillors in the Maun Administration Authority (MAA) have expressed shock to reports that Sehithwa and Maun sub-land boards allocated four residential plots since February to date.

They were commenting on the MAA chairperson’s speech, Mr Vepaune Moreti, at a council session recently.

Mr Moreti attributed this to a number of factors such as lack of serviced land within Maun and Sehithwa areas, lack of funds to conduct land acquisition processes and lack of funds to conduct strategic environmental assessment.

Councillor for Boro-Senonori, Mr Kenson Kgaga, said it was shocking that big villages such as Maun and Sehithwa managed to allocate four plots only, adding that it showed that the land board was failing to achieve its mandate.

Mr Kgaga was of the view that delays in plot allocations contributed to mushrooming of squatters in Maun.

He said the land board was even failing to approve land transfers for both residential and business plots which are already existing and serviced.

Mr Kgaga urged MAA to do something about the Maun Sub-land Board.

Councillor for Boyei, Mr Ntlogelang Kebonyekgotla, said if still faced by lack of land for people, Botswana’s strategy of transforming from middle to high income country would be far-fetched.

Mr Kebonyekgotla suggested that since government failed to fully service the land, it should consider servicing land in phases with minimal amenities to allow land boards to do their mandate.

Boseja South councillor, Mr Itumeleng Kelebetseng, said it was disheartening that the two land boards managed to allocate such a small number of plots while people had been awaiting plots allocations for about 15 years.

Mr Kelebetseng said many people were resorting to squatting in his council ward, which he blamed on land board delay in allocations.

He further urged the MAA to work with the land board to address the challenge of plot allocations.  Ends